Mirroring Shadows
by Kyunlei
Summary: Accidently stepping on a transmutation circle was oddly one way for Sakura to meet the being known as Truth. Years passed by with Sakura finding herself visiting Truth continuously. Then Sasuke betrays the village and Sakura tries to bring him back but ends up dying by his hands. Truth intervenes and a certain Flame Alchemist gets a sister. [Sakura!Mustang] [Sakura-as-Roy's-sister]
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

 _ **Meeting**_

* * *

…

"Ne, Shiro." A young girl's voice, no older than six, rang out within the open, empty space.

"Hmm?"

"Don't you feel lonely by yourself here?"

"Lonely?"

"Because there's only you and me, and when I'm not here, there's no one else."

The outline of a grin showed upon the creature's face.

"Didn't I already tell you? I know all, and I am all. My existence might as well be the whole universe so I don't get lonely."

"… I see."

The girl's eyes drifted across the open space that seemed limitless. It lacked colour (the whole area was dyed in white), objects and even an entrance or an exit. There was nothing there except for her and her friend, Shiro, who also had the same colour scheme as the room. Well, at least he had a dark outline around his body, else he'd be practically invisible.

"Hmm, then do you get bored? There's like nothing here to do or play with. It's all plain here… If it were me, I'd get bored in the first hour. And mama always says that you shouldn't stay inside for too long because you need some fresh air once in a while."

"Heh, I get the occasional visitor. But they certainly don't visit me as often as you. Besides, with you here, your pink hair makes this place a little less plain. And if it's so boring, why do you keep coming back here?"

"Because Shiro is here! You're my friend! I can't leave you here by yourself!" She pouted and tugged at her cherry blossom coloured tresses. "And it's not like I wanted to be born with this hair colour."

Shiro's ever-present grin faltered for a second before returning.

"Hmm, friend…?"

"Yeah! We're… friends, right? Shiro's my first ever friend. People always make fun of my large forehead or hair colour, but Shiro never seems to mind."

She touched her forehead absent-mindedly and remembered the first time she had met Shiro. She wasn't exactly sure on how she had gotten to the white void of space that had nothing else but Shiro there. She was being bullied at the time and had ran away before she stepped onto some circle filled with diagrams drawn within the centre, and a bright light flashed.

Before she knew it, she was standing in front of Shiro, and from then on, she would secretly come and visit him day after day by using the circle. Oddly enough, the weird circle seemed to react to only her, and she was the pretty sure that she was also the only one who could see the circle.

Perhaps it was the strange connection she felt that gave her the urge to visit the strange faceless creature every day and eventually gifting him the nickname of 'Shiro'.

"You're weird. Compared to all the others that I've met, you're the first and probably the only one who'll ever think calling me such a thing."

"Then… we're not friends?" Tears filled green eyes as they lowered sadly towards the ground.

"I didn't say that."

Her head snapped up at that, and she sniffled before wiping away her tears. A big smile bloomed across her face, and it brightened even more when she looked at Shiro.

"Then let's stay friends forever! I'll never abandon Shiro, and since no one really seems to be able to come here, I'll keep coming to visit!"

"Do whatever you want."

* * *

 _Several years passed…_

"I passed the exam, Shiro! I'm a kunoichi of the village now!" She squealed whilst jumping up and down happily.

"Congrats, lil' Blossom."

Over the years, Shiro had come up with a nickname for the girl as the frequent visits continued. The long length of time they had shared together only served to strengthen a sort of unnameable bond between the two. Whenever something was troubling the girl, the first person she would consult to about it with would usually, if not always, be Shiro.

"Just don't do anything stupid that'll get yourself killed."

* * *

"Sasuke-kun left…" A broken whisper echoed throughout the area.

"I see."

"I couldn't stop him."

"No one else could. Didn't your friend, Naruto, or whatever he was called, fail too?"

A sniffle followed by a small sob.

"But still… I failed a comrade… a friend— one of the very few that I have. Why am I so weak?" She gripped the hem of her shirt tightly and tears stained the fabric.

"It's not your fault, lil' Blossom."

* * *

 _More years passed and a war had started… Time stopped for no one._

"I won't fail. This time, I'll bring him back even if I have to use force." Determination filled her eyes as her voice carried strongly, ringing with conviction.

"You're still thinking about that boy who abandoned your village?"

"Mn," she murmured in agreement. "This time, I won't just rely on Naruto. Crying won't do anything after all, and I've had Tsunade-shishou train me for three years. I can't just keep being a burden to everyone. I'm stronger now compared to before."

"Yeah… I guess you are. Just don't do anything stupid."

"I won't."

Shiro seemed doubtful of that answer.

* * *

Rain poured, covering the ground in a layer of water and puddles.

A loud sound, akin to that of a thousand chirping birds, reverberated within the forest. A sharp pain took over her senses as she stared at the hand pierced through her chest. None too gently, the hand retreated and left her falling lifelessly to the ground with a thud.

Her blood seeped from the wound on her chest and painted the water a bloody-pink. She was feeling so cold, and her eyes were beginning to lose focus. Someone was shouting and shaking her. _Naruto_ , she thought, recognising who it was. _I'm sorry_. Cries were heard throughout the area, but the heavy rain dulled the sound.

"Stay with us!… Sakura!… You… why… Sasuke!… How could… Now she… I… won't forgive…"

She felt herself being placed carefully on the ground, and faintly, she registered the sound of the clashing of metal. She felt something warm pressed against her chest – most likely an iryo-nin trying to heal her wound. But it was too late now. The chances of her surviving such a fatal wound to the chest were slim to none.

Blood was flooding into her lungs, and it was becoming harder to breathe. She hacked and coughed up blood, but it did little to ease the suffocating feeling. Seconds became minutes, and gradually, her eyes lost their light and became dull, followed by the halt of her breathing along with the last beat of her heart.

She had failed again in bringing back Sasuke, and a strong sense of betrayal—she wasn't quite sure towards whom—lingered, leaving a bitter taste even in death.

* * *

"Silly little Blossom." A sigh. "Look at what he's done to you."

Groggily, she turned her head on the floor.

"Shiro…" she whispered weakly.

"How are you going to visit me every day now that you're like that?"

"I'm sorry…"

Silence filled the area, and although the girl—no, young woman, as she had grown since then—couldn't see Shiro's expression, she got the feeling that he was sad.

"Guess it can't be helped. I'll be exchanging this life you have now for a new one. It's the only way if you're ever going to be able to continue those visits."

"Ah… sorry I couldn't keep my promise to you, Shiro…"

"Sleep now. Just don't worry about anything. Although you probably won't be worrying about anything at all when you wake up since you won't have your memories."

"Eh…?" she questioned tiredly. Not being able to stay awake for any longer, her eyes closed and she lost consciousness.

A large, grey double door appeared as it swung open loudly, and dark hands crept towards the fallen pinkette. They wrapped around her body and lifted her towards the dark entrance.

"Well, till be meet again. Good-bye, Sakura-chan."

* * *

...

* * *

 **A/N:**

I'm sorry to those who have already read this previously from my other account. This is a re-upload of the story onto this new account.

To those who have never read this before, three guesses as to who 'Shiro' is xD


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 _ **New Member of the Family**_

* * *

…

The Mustang couple were quite young when they had their first child. The mother, Layla, was at a young age of nineteen when she was pregnant, and her husband, Aaron, was twenty. But they didn't mind. They had always planned on having a child of their own for a bigger family so when the news came of Layla's pregnancy, they were both overjoyed. It was a new experience for both Layla and Aaron, but they managed to pull through in the end—together.

Nine months later, a healthy baby boy was born. They named him Roy.

Roy was a sweet boy who was outgoing and polite but had a way of smooth-talking and flattering people (especially females) into doing things he wanted. He was a clever young boy—onyx black hair and identically coloured eyes constantly shone with curiosity and an almost hunger for knowledge that couldn't quite seem to be quenched.

They loved their son, and as Roy grew older, their love for him grew even more. They were what one could call a perfect family.

They were happy.

But when Roy was twelve, he was tentatively told of the news that he was going to be a big brother. At first, both Layla and Aaron weren't quite sure on how to break the news to their son since he had been an only child for twelve years, and the pregnancy was unplanned. The couple were satisfied to have only one child, but it didn't mean it wasn't a pleasant surprise for them when they learned that they were going to have another. The only thing that caused worry was Roy's reaction.

Roy was unsure and had stood still in slight shock when he was told that he was going to be someone's big brother. He didn't know what to think. After all, he would be twelve years older, and he was used to receiving all the affection to himself from his parents. He supposed that he wouldn't have trouble sharing since he believed he was quite a mature individual, and he would try his best to guide and take care of his sibling. But what if his new sibling didn't like him? What if his parents stopped paying attention to him and started to care more for the baby? What if something went horribly wrong?

Roy knew that taking care of a child wasn't easy. Heck, he admitted that even he _might_ not have been easy to take care of. All they did for the first year was eat, sleep and poop so you had to change their smelly diapers. Not something that sounded appealing at all. Oh, and they cried—loudly.

But even so… there was the chance that his sibling would come to love him, and Roy, of course, would give the baby his unconditional love. The baby would be a new member to his family after all, and family was important to him. And, at that thought, he became excited. He was becoming an older brother! He hoped—no, he would make sure that he would become the best big brother ever for the baby, and he'd set a good example for him or her. Hmm, now that he thought about it, was the baby going to be a boy or a girl? It was probably too early to tell. So did he want a younger brother or a younger sister?

Well, a younger brother would be easier to take care of when they grew older. He would be able to give better advice because Roy would be able to relate easier with them both being males.

However, if the baby was a girl… Roy had to pause for more thought. He had no problems with girls in general. He knew how to charm most of the girls in his class, and he could proudly say that he was one of the most good-looking out of all the boys in the whole of his school. But sometimes, they were hard to understand. Some females could be really calm at one moment, and at the next, they would be really emotional. He just didn't get their mood swings. You also had to be careful of what you said too since females were more of the 'sensitive' species. With boys, they were more laid-back, and he felt like he wouldn't have to worry as much if he had a younger brother.

On the other hand, if the baby was a female, his younger sister would surely look super cute! Because, above all, he had a very beautiful mother, and he had inherited his attractive face from both his handsome father and his stunning mother. He'd just have to somehow think of a way to keep the boys away from her.

So with those thoughts sorted and some left to think over at a later time, he turned to his parents and gave them a big smile whilst congratulating them. His parents gave him smiles of relief and delight in return.

* * *

Seven months passed and the first disaster struck. An accident including a horrible fall down the stairs had Layla immediately taken to the hospital. They weren't sure if the life of the unborn child could be saved. After hours of labour passed, the first cries of a newborn, albeit premature, dispelled their fears.

However, with one life brought into the world, another was lost. The newborn child took their first breath, and another took their last. It was the mother that laid silent and unbreathing…

* * *

…

Two months later, Aaron Mustang died whilst fulfilling his line of duty, leaving his son and newborn daughter to live as orphans.

…

* * *

Clouds filled the sky on the day of the funeral. The coffin was lowered beneath the soil, before the dirt was piled on top and the ground was levelled out once again. There laid two gravestones—the Mustang couple were able to be placed side by side each other in death. The military were there along with Aaron's closest comrades who had all met during the Military Academy days.

Roy stood numbly before his parents' graves and looked down at the small and warm bundle in his arms.

She was the only one left.

* * *

"Ne, aren't babies supposed to be loud and cry a lot? Is there something wrong with her, Madame Christmas?"

Roy watched his baby sister, almost in a disinterested, tired manner, as his expression still showed signs of mourning and suffering from his loss, but his voice carried a slight underlying tone of concern.

A week after the funeral ended, Roy and his baby sister were adopted by their paternal aunt who became their new adoptive mother.

"Nothing's wrong with her, kid. She's just one of those quiet ones. And thank god."

Roy lifted his finger and brushed a strand of his sister's coal-black hair away from her face. Lazily, her eyes peeled open, revealing a pair of brilliant, emerald-green orbs. Under a certain angle of the light, he thought he saw his sister's hair become a bright, blossom-pink, but in the next second, it went back to its original dark black. He blinked, and for a while, Roy couldn't help but question whether he had imagined it or not… How strange.

The room went back into silence.

* * *

Night came, and Roy wasn't able to get any sleep. His baby sister wasn't the one keeping him up though. She did cry, but it very rarely happened. He just had trouble sleeping—it had been like that ever since he had lost his parents.

Looking up at the night sky with his dark eyes that reflected the moonlight (eyes that had shed their fill of tears but stubbornness prevented them from shedding more for Roy thought of himself an adult), he watched the clouds drift aimlessly across the vast open space. The silence gave him a slight peace of mind, and yet the oppressive feeling of loneliness couldn't be ignored. He doubted he could ever get over the overwhelming feelings of grief, loss and solitude, but still, there was an idiom that said: 'time heals all wounds'.

Besides, he had a certain younger Mustang to take care of. He wouldn't let his sadness blind him from his responsibilities as an older brother. He'd make his parents proud—even if they were no longer by his side.

* * *

...

* * *

 **A/N:**

Just one more chapter to re-upload and then I'm off to bed.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

 _ **The One Named 'Altar of the Sky'**_

* * *

…

Groggily rubbing his eyes, Roy sluggishly sat up on his bed and made his way to the room opposite to his. This was one of the rare times when his sister cried. It usually didn't end well either. The main reason she cried was usually because she was beginning to feel unwell, and sometimes she would end up with a fever in the middle of the night. The past few months were quite hectic due to the frequent trips in and out of the hospital for the continuous check-ups needed for his sister; she was born prematurely which inevitably led to the state of her weakened immune system and additional health concerns.

During the first month she was born, she spent most of the time laid in an incubator, and the doctors had concerns about her low birth weight of two-point-one kilograms. For two months, his sister stayed at the hospital for monitoring and to wait until her weight gain had reached to a slightly healthier level—only then were they given the possibility of letting her out of the hospital.

Quickening his pace, Roy hoped that there wasn't anything wrong with his sister and that it was just one of the few times when she just cried for comfort. However, when he reached over to the crib, he took one look at the feverish flush on his sister's face and knew that it was time to take another trip to the hospital. Gently, he lowered his arms and lifted his baby sister up to carry her.

"Shh, it's okay, Araceli. Your brother's here now," he whispered softly.

The name 'Araceli' was one of the choices his parents had thought of to name their child. If the child they were going to have was another boy, then they would have named him 'Luke'; a name with the meaning of light. But if it was a girl, they decided that they liked the name representing the altar of the sky, 'Araceli'. It wasn't a common name used in Amestris, and, in fact, it was a name from a foreign country, but it was the meaning that counted for them. In the end, it turned out to be a girl, and his dad had been able to gift the baby her name before he was… killed.

"Again?"

Hearing his aunt's voice, he turned towards the entrance to the room and spotted her leaning against the door frame. He nodded his head.

"Aa, she seems to have developed a fever over the night so we should take her to the hospital just to be safe."

"Come on then," his aunt said as she walked off back to her own room to change out of her nightwear and into her casual clothes.

For the time being, Roy placed his sister back into her crib so that he could also go change his clothes before going back and holding her in his arms again. He noticed that Araceli's breathing had gotten shallower and that she had stopped crying. His brows furrowed in concern; this particular episode of illness seemed to have been worse than the previous ones. Hurrying the pace of his strides, he caught up with his aunt, who was waiting at the front door, and they both fell into step with one another as they entered the car.

He wondered how long his sister would have to stay in the hospital for this time.

* * *

"How is she, Doctor Elaine?" Madame Christmas queried whilst she and Roy waited patiently as the doctor examined Araceli.

"Hmm, this is probably just another case of her weak immune system working up again. I don't see anything wrong other than the fact that she must have caught a cold and developed a fever. Though her temperature is very high. Higher than the previous times." Taking off her glasses, Doctor Elaine turned to the worried family members. "I'd recommend you allow her to stay overnight for a few days just in case. But other than that, I think she'll be fine," she smiled slightly to reassure them, and Roy's shoulders slumped a little in relief.

"I see. Thank you, Doctor." Madame Christmas said as she nodded her head in gratitude. Roy bowed his head slightly as well.

"It's my pleasure. No need to thank me. It's my job, after all." The doctor's smile widened a bit more, and she had a look of embarrassment on her face.

The door behind them clicked open and a nurse walked in.

"Ah, just the right timing, Alice. Would you mind leading the patient Araceli Mustang to the room for the young ones because she's staying overnight for supervision. The other two are her family so they'll be tagging along too."

The nurse nodded her head at Elaine and walked towards the sleeping baby, but Roy stepped in between them.

"It's ok. I'll carry her," Roy said, intercepting the nurse's path towards his younger sister. Almost protectively, he picked her up and carried Araceli safely in his arms. Roy nodded to the nurse, signalling her that it was alright for her to lead them.

Alice looked slightly surprised at the older brother's act but quickly shook it off by turning towards the door and making her way out. She paused briefly, waiting for the Mustangs to catch up, before carrying on along the hallway.

* * *

Sometimes when he was alone like this, he would sit down quietly in his room and just think. Think about the possible future. Think about the family he had. Think about his sister. They were all random. Some made him happy and some made him give a bittersweet smile. The topics were always random and something he would never consciously bring up to the forefront of his mind.

That's why he was slightly disgruntled, shocked and possibly angry—at himself—for thinking… thinking of who to blame for…

The images never left him—images of his parents that were still clear in his mind. It seemed like it was just yesterday when they were all together, sitting at the dining table talking, smiling and laughing as a family. _Together_.

It was to be expected after all. Only a little over five months had passed since the death of his mother, and then three months ago, his father was killed fulfilling his line of duty as a soldier of the country.

(Then, there was the funeral.)

But Roy had known—known that his father had not been sleeping well, or eating well, and that had affected his chances of survival drastically. Half of the time when Roy had talked to him, they were still mourning over the loss of Layla. His father was always looking far off into the distance, never paying much of an attention to his surroundings. Roy could see that his father was tired and filled with grief—that's what his eyes always seemed to display. He never really was ready or fit to go back to work so soon after something so painful had happened. But Roy also knew that his father needed something to keep his mind off of all the pain and grief and sadness and… and focusing all his time on work was the only way for him.

(Everyone needed their own way of an escape—from reality, responsibilities or themselves—no matter how cowardly it seemed.)

It was ironic that, in the end, his line of work did give him the closure he may have wanted—albeit in a morbid way.

And Roy couldn't help but think at the time that maybe if his mother hadn't died, then maybe his father would have lived also, and they would have all still been together. Then Roy wouldn't have lost anyone. If only Araceli Mustang hadn't been born; hadn't existed to begin wi—

He had cut that thought off immediately.

Dread filled the pit of his stomach, a feeling akin to suddenly being splashed with ice-cold water, whilst his face paled, and his mouth suddenly became dry. He shook his head vehemently as he clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. Not long after was it that he punched a nearby wall in an effort to extinguish his building feelings of frustration and anger. It didn't work.

He definitely couldn't carry on with that thought. The mere fact that he ever thought of blaming his sister (his sweet, innocent, barely more than five-months-old sister), even for a second, and condemning her to be held accountable for his parents' deaths, when it wasn't even her fault, made him feel disgusted with himself. Nor did the idea sit well with him. He could not—would not—carry on with such a thought. It could— _would_ —easily become a dangerous path to proceed on, and he did not like where it had been precariously teetering on either.

This state of despair and slight desolation would have to stop. He needed it to stop before he did something he would regret later on. It wasn't his sister's fault that his— _their_ parents died. It wasn't anyone's fault; at least not anyone close to him.

As for murderer of his father though, he would find him or her later. He would not outrightly seek vengeance ( _yet_ ), but he wasn't above it. However, if he ever came across his father's killer, he would take it as a chance given to him and exact revenge on what the murderer deserved which would allow him a slight peace of mind.

* * *

And then the guilt came.

Ever since that treacherous thought of singling out his sister as the one to blame for all his sorrows, Roy could not face or look in his sister's direction without the pang of conscience and shame. He tried to keep his expression neutral as to not arise any questions on the way he was acting, but, without him knowing, someone _had_ noticed.

Chris Mustang, also known as Madame Christmas, prided herself in her observational skills. How she could easily notice the slight changes in the behaviour of the people she knew was something that came almost naturally for her. After all, she hadn't been living a good few decades of her life to come out learning nothing. In her line of work (and to live in any world, really; it was better safe than sorry) it was a necessary ability a person definitely needed or to have developed to a certain extent.

She had noticed the hesitant looks Roy had casted towards his own baby sister—her niece. What suddenly brought on such a reaction from him, she didn't know and didn't particularly care to find out.

( _B_ _oys and their weird thought patterns_ , she thought whilst shaking her head).

But she supposed that as his now acting guardian, she did have the obligation to help fix any possible problems he could be having.

Really, what had she done to end up with having to become someone's babysitter for a few years?

She was definitely not the motherly type.

(But, for them, there was no one else left to rely on.

So she took on the role; she wasn't cruel enough to abandon a blood relative even if she thought of how tedious it was.)

"Are you thinking of something stupid, Roy-boy?" she asked with a slight gruff tone.

His head snapped up like a startled rabbit.

She gave a small huff. Did he really think _she_ , a Mustang nonetheless, hadn't realised?

"I—Umm… Not particularly, aunt." He kept his eyes trained on the wall to his right—the exact opposite direction to where his aunt stood on his left.

Regarding him at the corner of her eyes, she stayed silent for a while before deciding to say anything. She knew he was lying. Sometimes Roy would call her either 'Madame Christmas' or 'aunt' (mostly 'Madame Christmas'), and she wouldn't have thought anything more of it if he called her 'aunt'. But the combination of the aversion of his eyes when calling her 'aunt' was enough of a sign to her that he had something on his mind. Not to forget to mention that he had also been acting weirdly for the past few days.

"Hmph. Well, I don't know what the problem is, but don't forget the fact that she's your sister—your _younger_ sister. She'll rely and depend on you, whether you want her to or not, and look at you as a role model. So don't make that kind of face in front of her—like looking at her pains you. How do you think she'll feel when, every time she sees you, that's the only face her brother can make in front of her?"

She narrowed her eyes challengingly. "You're a man, right? Stop hesitating, and get your act together. You're a big brother now, and you have a younger sibling to look after. It's not just you anymore."

His head lowered in shame, and the guilt became more prominent in his features before something suddenly lit up within his eyes, and his posture straightened with his head raised high.

"Aa," he nodded and turned to face his aunt. "Thank you, aunt."

(This time he was looking at her—properly and unhesitatingly facing _forward_.

And, in that moment, her chest swelled with a rarely seen pride for the boy.)

She huffed and turned her head away.

(He noticed that there was a slight upturn at the corner of her lips though, and he too smiled, feeling a lot lighter.)

* * *

...

* * *

 **A/N:**

There's definitely something I really dislike about this chapter... but I can't be bothered re-writing it. Meh, maybe one day in the future. But for now, I really want to get into the main part of the story as quick as possible because I really don't like writing the beginning of a story. It's boring and dull most of the time, and I just want to get to the juicy parts of the story, but unfortunately it's necessary.

And well, there we go... Now I'm really off to bed. Hopefully, I'll be able to get fresh content out for this fanfic soon. Need to start re-watching FMA Brotherhood for the third time xD Time to hit the nostalgia train. Good night, peeps.


End file.
